Apparatus for removing grain doors



June 3 1924, 1,496,401

H. H. ALFREY APPARATUS FOR REMOVING GRAIN DOORS FiQLed Jan. 19, 1922 y will be mentionedin the following descrip` tion of the preferredembodiment of the in- ...3o

Patented lune 3, 1924.

HARRY iJ-LFJR'E'Y," 0F EL REINO, OKLAHOMA.

.APPARAIJTSf FOIL REMOVING GRAIN DOOR-S.

Application filed January 19, 1922. Serial No. 530,313.

T o all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY II. ALFREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Reno, in the county of rCanadian and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Grain Doors, of which the followin@ is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for removing grain doors` from box cars, and the principal objectrof the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and economical apparatus for accomplishing this operation, preferably by a single movement of an implement specially designed for this purpose, which is inserted underthe grain door or a section thereof and is raised to exert an upward pull on the door, or section,-and simultaneously therewith an inward thrust which serves to back out or loosen the nails attaching the grain doorV to the door posts of ther car.

The invention consists in the new and im proved arrangements, devices and constructions tov be hereinafter described and claimed, for carrying out the above stated object and such other incidental objects as vention disclosed in the accompanying drawmg.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the appara` tus shown as applied to the upper portion or section of a grain door, the door and box structure of the car bemgshown 1n section.

Fig. 2 is a side view, on a larger scale, of the implement employed for removmg the door.

Fig. 3 is a view, in perspective, of the hook ,Y

element of thisimplement, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the part of the implement which exerts the inward thrust.

In the drawing, 10 designates the flooring of a box car, 11 the side wall structure formed with the usual door opening, and 12 one of the door posts. The car is `shown as provided with a grain door of common construction. The apparatus of my invention might, however, beused for the removal of grain doors otherwise constructed. The door, as sho-wn, consists of three outside sections 13, 14, 15 which are fastened to the door post by nails 16 and two lining secouter sections.

The implement for removing the grain. dooi` consists of aV hooky or claw 19 having a shank 2O formed at its upper end with an eye 21 and at its lower end with a foot 22 preferably wedge-shaped so as to provide a sharp, forward edge 23 and a sloping upper surface 211. The surface 24. is prefer ably corrugated, ribbed or roughened as indicated at 25.

Any suitable apparatus may be provided for elevating the hook 19. I have shown the hook as suspended by its eye21 on the end of a cable 26 which extends over a sheave 27 and is wound on a drum 28 loose on a shaft 29 but adapted to be engaged there-` with by a clutch 30, the handle of which is shown at 31.. The shaft is shown as provided with a gear wheel 32 meshed with a pinion 33 on the` driven shaft of motor 34.

door when the hook is elevated. This member is shown as consisting of a pair of angle shapedwelements37, 37 heldin spaced relation by tubular spacers 38 and'bolts 39 extending through the outwardly projecting ianges of the. angle elements and through said spacers, the connections between the strut and the .membersbetween which it is placed being made by pivot pins orbolts 40. y s

Operation: The grain door may be removedy from the carv as a unit vby forcingthe wedge-shaped foot between the lower edge of the door and the flooring 10 of the car, and then lifting the hook by operation of the winding drum 28. Preferably, however, the door'is removed in sections, Fig. 1, showing the application of the implement to the upper section of the door. That is, the wedge-shaped foot is driven in `between the upper section and the intermediate( section of the door near one end of the door andthe hook then raised to remove this section and upper liner 17. It will be observed that the hook causes the member 37, 37 to exert an inward thrust against the grain door (operating to loosen the nails 1G and cause them to back out of the door posts) without exerting any 'torce tending to pull the toot out oi engagement with the door. rThis inward thrust takes place simultaneously with the upward pull against the door section. The compound movement thus produced is very eti'ective in removing the grain door boards 'from the car without breaking them; an iinportant object ot my invention being to remove the lumber constituting the grain door without damage so that the grain door boards or sections may be used repeatedly. The upper 'tace 24 ol the foot portion ot the hook is sloped so that iii the oblique position which the hook assumes when exerting a pull on the door, the face 211- will be substantially at right angles to the face of thel door. This relation ot the parts maintains the proper position o1 the toot against the under edge of the door or door section. However, to insure this engagement the upper surface of the toot is` preferably corrugated'or roughened as shown.

The intermediate section of the door may be next removed by inserting the foot of the hook between theouter sections 14 and 15. Finally, the hook is inserted under the lower section 15 and the operation'repeatedV I claim: l i i 1. In apparatus for removing grain doors from railway cars, the combination of a hook or claw comprising ashank and a foot adapted to extend under a grain door or grain door section, and means attached to the shank for elevating the hook.

2. In apparatus for removing grain doors from railway cars, the combination of a hook or claw comprising a shank and a foot adapted to extend under a grain door or grain door section, means attached to the shank for elevating the hook, and'means associated withthe hook for exerting an inward thrust against the door simultaneously with the upward pull.

In apparatus 'for removing grain doors from railway cars, the combination of a khook or claw comprising a shank and a wedge-shaped toot having av sharp edge adapted to extend under a grain door or grain door section, and means attached to the shank for elevating the hook.

4. In apparatus for removing grain doors from railway cars, thecombination of a hook or claw comprising a shank and a wedge-shaped toot having a roughened upper surface and a sharp edge adapted to extend under a grain door or grain door section, and means attached to the shank for elevating the hook.

5. In apparatus for removing grain doors from railway. cars, theicombination of a hook the lower end ofwhichis'ad'apted to engagea grain door or door sectionprovided witha strut at its upper end having means adapted to bear against the door, and means 'tor raising the hookto exert an upward pull and an inward thrust against the door.

(3. In apparatus for removing grain doors 'from railway cars, the combination oit a hook, the lowei` end of which is adapted to engage a grain dooi or door section, a memher adapted to bear against the door above said place ot engagenient` a strut pii'oted io the upper end ot the hook and to said member, and means for raising the hook to exert an upward pull and an inward thrust against the door.

T. In apparatus for removing grain doors from railway cars, the combination of' a hook the lower end of which is adapted to engage a grain door or doorsection', a strut associated with the upper end of the hook and provided with means for bearing against the door, and means for raising the hook attached to said hook at a point which is nearer the door than is the outer end of the strut. i i

8. In appa atus for removing grain doors from', railway cars, the combination of`y a hook having ya toot adapted `to" extend under a grain door or door section, a strut associated with the upper end of the v`hook'provided with means for bearing against the door, and means for raising the hook which is attached to the hook nearer the door' than is the outer 'end-olf the strut, the upper face of said toot being at substantially right angles to the tace of the door when the hook is in operative position.

9. In apparatus for removing grain doors from railway cars, the combination ofr a hook, the lower end of which is adapted to engage a grain door or door section, rav mem? ber adapted to bear against the door above the place engaged bythe hook, a strut pivoted to said member and to said hook, and means for raising the hook which is attached to said hook at a point nearer the door than is the pivotal connection between thestrut and hook. Y l

10. In apparatus for removing grain doors trom railway cars, the combinationof a hook having a Y,toot adapted to extend under a grain door or doorscction, a member to bear against the door at a point above said toot, a strut pivoi'ed to said member and to said hook, and means for raising the ,hook which is attached to the hook ata point nearer the door than is the pivotal connection between the strut yand hook, the upper face of the toot being at substantially right angles to the face of the d oor when the hook is in operative position.

11. In apparatus for removing grain doors from railway cars, the combination Yof a hook member having a shank, ai wedge shaped foot the upper surface of which stands at an obtuse angle'to the shank, a

projection extending outwardly and upwardly from the upper end of the shank, a member to bear against the door, a strutpivoted to said member and to the upper end of said projection, and means for raising the hook which is attached to the hook below and inwardly of the pivotal connection between the strut and said projection.

12. In apparatus for removing grainv doors from railway cars, the combination o a hook member having a shank, a wedgershaped foot the upper surface of which stands at an obtuse angle to theshank, a projection extending outwardly and upto the face of the door and being roughened, 25

for the purpose described.

HARRY H. ALFREY. 

